County Offices

Registration now open for Wildfire Awareness Half Marathon and 5K Runs in May

Posted 4/19/2016

Events to raise money to help injured firefighters and the families of fallen firefighters

Runners enjoy the scenery during the 2014 Southern Nevada Wildland Fire Awareness Half Marathon and 5K. This year’s southern Nevada event is May 1 at Mt. Charleston, and the northern Nevada event is May 29 in Reno.

Registration is open for the Wildfire Awareness Half Marathon and 5K Trail Runs in Clark and Washoe counties, hosted by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Living With Fire Program in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and Desert Sky Adventures. All proceeds from the races will be donated to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.

The Southern Nevada Wildland Fire Awareness Half Marathon and 5K Run is May 1, 8 a.m. — noon, at the new Spring Mountain Visitor’s Gateway, 2525 Kyle Canyon Road in Mt. Charleston. To register or for more information, visit http://desertskyadventures.com/wildlandlasvegas/.

The Northern Nevada Wildland Fire Awareness Half Marathon and 5K Run in Washoe County is May 29, 8 a.m. — noon, at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, 1595 N. Sierra St. in Reno. To register or for more information, visit http://desertskyadventures.com/wildlandreno/.

Cost is $40 and includes a tech t-shirt, goodie bag, finisher’s medal, snacks and refreshments. Each location is limited to 300 participants. The race is part of the activities for Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month in May, which is a collaborative, multi-agency effort.

Participants will run through some of Nevada’s most infamous wildfire fuels, and there will be a variety of fire engines and displays of educational information. The public is invited to come out and cheer on the runners, visit with firefighter representatives and enjoy Nevada’s beauty.

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to fallen firefighters’ families and to firefighters injured in the line of duty. The proceeds of the race will help families travel to see firefighters who were injured while aiding another state; help the families of firefighters unable to work because they’re still healing; and help the families of firefighters killed while working.

Wildfire Awareness Month is a collaborative effort by local, state and federal firefighting agencies, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and many others. This year’s wildfire awareness message, “Create Unity, Fire-Adapt Your Community!” stresses that when community members work together to prepare for wildfire, they can more effectively reduce the wildfire threat.

Extension’s Living With Fire Program, which began in 1998, teaches homeowners how to live more safely with the wildfire threat. The program has received numerous national awards, and been credited with spurring actions that have saved many homes. For more information about Living With Fire, visit www.LivingWithFire.info, or contact Sonya Sistare at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, sistares@unce.unr.edu or 775-336-0271.